I completely agree, I love the different comprehension and expression of an identical concept, it’s part of why I never get bored traveling or learning languages. It extends to actions and behaviors too, like using chopsticks instead of forks because “of course you would, they’re the primary eating utensil.” Keeps my mind broad to remember that everyone around me is sure the world looks a certain way and they’re all seeing different things.

Oh, got it. Yea, that’s how I feel about people. I remember watching that when it came out, but not since then either, wonder if it stuck with me too.

What’s the blanket?

I love learning languages because it constantly reassures me how similar we all are regardless of superficial differences.

Every time I visited a new country for the first several years I was traveling it was like “oh, but what if the rumors are true and-” and then I’d talk to a couple people and everyone would be like “I value good food, intimacy, housing, and expressing myself”. Maybe they paint, maybe they’re a programmer, intellectually/physically disabled or a pilot, but people are, in my mind, undoubtedly people first, just like all the other people.

Now I’ve been traveling for 15 years and I don’t worry about “them” in a new country being any different than everyone else I know. Chinese are Texans are Guatemalans are people, people, people and you have everything in common with them.

English, Mandarin, Spanish, and I’m crappy to mid in a bunch of others.